Seven Chinese Brothers - Hardcover

Mahy, Margaret

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590420550 ISBN 13: 9780590420556

Publisher: Scholastic, 1990

Synopsis

Seven Chinese brothers elude execution by virtue of their extraordinary individual qualities

About this title

About the Author:

Margaret Mahy (1936-2012) worked as a librarian in her native New Zealand before becoming a full-time writer in 1980. Beloved by generations of readers, she wrote over 150 books for children and young adults, and in 2006, she received the Hans Christian Andersen Award (the "Nobel Prize of children's books") for her contribution to children's literature.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 4-- The seven brothers walk, talk, and look alike, but each has his own special power. When the third brother runs afoul of the emperor and is sentenced to be beheaded, the fourth brother, who has bones of iron, takes his place. The emperor then tries drowning and burning but each time a different brother foils his scheme. Mahy retells this traditional Chinese tale in graceful, witty prose. She uses classic storytelling elements to their best advantage and, without any attempt to imitate Chinese syntax, her choice of words gives a feeling of time and place. Both jacket notes and an editor's foreword give background information about the tale. Beginning with the cover, which shows the smiling brothers looming over a cowering emperor, the Tsengs' rich watercolors complement and enhance the story. With great skill, they interweave elements of ancient Chinese painting with lively pictorial storytelling. The emperor, encased in voluminous ceremonial robes, is an embodiment of corrupt yet insecure power, and the beautiful faces of the seven brothers, although alike, glow with life. Many readers will be familiar with the classic Claire Bishop/Kurt Wiese version of the The Five Chinese Brothers (Coward-McCann, 1938). The style of both text and illustrations is so different from the Mahy/Tseng book that comparisions are inappropriate. An exceptional new telling of the story. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0590420550
• ISBN 13: 9780590420556
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40